Comments

A few days ago I decided I'd have to try to do something about Thought For The Day, and now I find there are podloads you can downcast about it springing up everywhere.

I read your piece about death, I think rather differently to you about it.

You wrote:

"If, like me, you believe that death is the end of all experience, there is great consolation in thinking that when it has happened there won't be anything else. That's it. We don't worry about the eternity before we existed; why be concerned about the eternity during which we won't exist in the future?"

I don't see why it is a consolation to you that after death there will be nothing else. That's precisely why the idea of death is so upsetting, because life (if you're lucky) is so wonderful, and death means no more of it.

I have related qualms about this: "What is bad about death is what it does to other people: the ones left behind to grieve."

Of course that is one bad thing about my death, but I honestly think my grieving family and friends will get over it a lot quicker than I will.

There are two problems with Radio 4's Thought for the Day. First, it is inappropriate being slotted in the middle of a news programme. How would you like the Archers or Farming Today to be interrupted by a three minute advert for God. Second, it is biased. Contributors without a faith-based belief system are not welcome.

As you say, it is so easy now to create blogs and podcasts that Radio 4 is in danger of being lost in the noise. To add to the cacophony another site http://www.secularthought.org launches tomorrow morning, Wednesday 18th February 2009 at 08:00 GMT. This will deliver a stream of reader contributed thoughts of a secular nature and will be another nail in Thought for the Day's coffin.